From being deemed 'too fat' to doubles No.1: Taylor Townsend's resilient and motivational story

(Getty/Scott Taetsch)

Last month, 29-year-old Taylor Townsend etched herself into history by becoming the 50th WTA player to reach the coveted doubles No.1 ranking.

Many predicted that she would go on and accomplish great things in the sport, but countless setbacks derailed a promising career.

Her commendable tenacity and strength to push through unexpected barriers are one of tennis' best upbeat stories in recent memory.

History made at 15 to equal Lindsay Davenport's achievement

In 2012, an era where baseline rallies and powerful hitting were slowly becoming the norm, a 15-year-old Townsend didn't want to follow the trend. Instead, her talent shone through by adopting an old-school serve and volley approach.

In April, she secured the No.1 junior ranking. This player was destined for a bright future with the world at her feet.

Her talent was crystal clear, and it became tangible in that same year when she won both the singles and doubles titles at the Australian Open juniors, replicating former world No.1 American Lindsay Davenport's 1992 US Open feat.

Townsend went on to win junior doubles titles at Wimbledon, where she partnered former runner-up at the All England Club, Eugenie Bouchard, and the US Open with Gabrielle Andrews.

USTA funding controversy

Although she won the junior doubles title at Flushing Meadows in 2012, Townsend was actually inches away from not competing at all.

Suddenly, the then-teenager had her United States Tennis Association (USTA) funding and support stripped because of fitness doubts, with the governing body refusing to change their decision until she lost weight.

"Our concern is her long-term health, number one, and her long-term development as a player," said Patrick McEnroe, who was then the general manager of the USTA's player development program.

"We have one goal in mind: For her to be playing in [Arthur Ashe Stadium] in the main draw and competing for major titles when it's time. That's how we make every decision, based on that.

''We're trying to make decisions that we think are in the best interest of the player. Do you think we're sitting around going, 'How can we screw this up?'"

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The controversial handling of a top junior talent caused outrage amongst former players, including Davenport and Martina Navratilova.

"You cannot punish someone for their body type," said Davenport, while Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, admitted she was "livid" at the decision.

Despite unnecessary commentary around Townsend's appearance by calling her "too fat" and urging her to "slim down", the USTA eventually reimbursed the talented teen, with Patrick McEnroe referring to a "miscommunication" in expenses.

Return to the ITF circuit

After making her top 100 debut at the start of 2015, her ranking plummeted due to inconsistent results and injuries, which saw her leave the world's top 300 at season's end.

It was the following year, in 2016, that she rekindled her love for doubles on the ITF Tour, winning five titles in the first four months of the year, finishing the season with eight titles to climb into the top 75.

Proving USTA wrong after major US Open upset

At the 2019 US Open, Townsend caused shockwaves when she took down fourth seed Simona Halep in a dramatic three-set tussle.

Serving with two match points at 5-4, 40-15 in the decider, the American squandered those chances and had to wait a little longer.

But it was her courageous tactic that threw her experienced opponent completely off guard and lost for answers, having approached the net 106 times, as her serve and volley technique, helped by her doubles nous, paid dividends to produce the biggest win of her career.

"I think for so long that's been my whole thing, just continue to press forward and just realise that I belong on this level," Townsend said post-match. "I've had a lot of people doubting me being able to 'break through,' quote unquote."

Seven years prior, she was doubted and mistreated by the USTA at just the tender age of 16. Imagine having to deal with the amount of unwanted publicity as a junior. Unfathomable.

Yet Townsend's memorable triumph over Halep was an emphatic statement of resilience, and her reaction after match point told the story.

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A pair of doubles dreams realised

After years of searching for her maiden doubles title at Grand Slam level, having finished runner-up twice, the drought was finally over Townsend at last year's Wimbledon, partnering Kateřina Siniaková to glory.

The pair repeated their heroics at the 2025 Australian Open, solidifying their status as the best doubles partnership in the women's game.

This time, however, Townsend had the magic No.1 next to her name to show for it, achieving the milestone at the end of July.

As a result, she became the first mother to clinch the top doubles ranking after giving birth to her son, Adyn, in March 2021.

Far from a smooth journey, the long game has paid off for an irrepressible Townsend.

"I have had to go through some of the hardest struggles and the most personal struggles in the public eye," she told reporters at last month's Washington Open. "Some really very kind of intimate topics that had to be a topic of conversation literally around the world as a child and having to defend myself as a kid.

"It's made me who I am, and it's made me appreciate every step of the way, and being able to have somebody say, externally, 'You look so happy playing,' that's a win."

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